Election Commission freezes AIADMK party symbol for RK Nagar bypoll

Chennai, March 23 -- The Election Commission of India has given the two factions of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) time till 10am on Thursday to furnish the names of their groups by which they may be recognized by the commission and the details of the symbols which may be allotted to the respective candidates for the RK Nagar bypolls.
The EC on Wednesday said that AIADMK's "two leaves" symbol would be frozen.
The EC, in its interim order, said: "Neither of the two groups led by petitioners-E. Madhusudhanan, O. Panneerselvam and S. Semmalai-and the respondents-V.K. Sasikala and Shri T.T.V. Dhinakaran-shall be permitted to use the name of the party 'All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam'."
"Neither of the aforesaid two groups shall also be permitted to use the symbol 'Two Leaves', reserved for 'All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam'," the EC said.
The EC said that the decision is "purely for the purposes of the current by-election" in RK Nagar assembly constituency on 12 April. "They may indicate the names of three free symbols, in the order of their preference, anyone of which may be allotted to their candidates by the Commission," the EC said in its order.
Earlier on Wednesday, the final hearing of the two factions-the one under general secretary V.K. Sasikala and the other under former O. Panneerselvam-was held by the EC in New Delhi.
The EC said both the groups shall also be allotted different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Commission, for the RK Nagar assembly constituency by-election. The RK Nagar seat fell vacant following the demise of late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
This is the second time that the party's two leaves symbol has been frozen. It first happened in 1989, when the party was split into two factions following AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran's death.